This Tiny Chip Is What Makes Apple's Annoying New iPhone Connector Cord So Special

The most annoying thing about the new iPhone 5 is that it uses an entirely different type of cord than old iPhones, iPads, and iPods.

For me, that means I have to remember to bring it to work and back every day, or else I’ll be stuck on the subway actually having to be alone with my thoughts instead of deep into a level of Fieldrunners 2. The horror.

Anyway, why did Apple do this to us?

Lots of reasons, including that the iPhone 5 is so thin it had to have a smaller connector.

But another reason is that the Lightning cord, as Apple calls it, is actually a technological advancement over the old wire.

Previously, we have analysed security devices regarding medical printer media (armbands), printer cartridges, flash drive memory, batteries, and smart cards, but this is the first secure cable we have seen. The security does not come close to the herculean approaches that are used in (for example) today’s printer cartridges, but resembles the level of effort that cartridge manufacturers used to implement in the olden days. This is likely a calculated decision by Apple to keep costs to a minimum knowing that their core customer base prefers to shop in Apple stores or for brand name peripherals. In these places, piracy is not a concern. In other words, at this time the security is “just enough.” With future generations of Apple and non-Apple products, we may begin to see even stronger security and control if the market forces merit it.